Visparad XIV

The Zend Avesta, Part III (SBE31), L.H. Mills, tr. [1886], at sacred-texts.com

VISPARAD XIV (SP. XVI) ³.

1. (We worship Ahura Mazda, the holy Lord of the ritual order ⁴; and we sacrifice to the Gâtha Ahunavaiti) with its measures, and word-structure, and its Zand, with its questions and counter-questions, with its words and its metric feet. And we sacrifice to these as well-recited, and now in the course of being recited; as well-worshipped, and now in the course of being used in worship ⁵. 2. (Yea, we sacrifice to it) in

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its own 'wisdom' ¹, in its own 'clearness' ², in its own 'loving intention' ², in its sovereignty, and its own ritual order, and its 'acquired boon' ², which is also that given by Ahura Mazda for the promotion of piety, for that thought which originates from the 'heart-devoted self' ².

3. (Sp. Chapter XVII.) Also we worship the Ahuna-vairya, the holy lord of the ritual order, the holy lord with its Ahû and its Ratu [(Pâzand); for He is the one with the title Ahû and Ratu, who is Ahura Mazda ³]. 4. And we sacrifice to the constituent parts of the Gâtha Ahunavaiti, to its chapters, and its metrical lines, its words, and word-structure, [and to its heard-recital, and memorised recital, its continuous and its steadfast offering].

Footnotes

356:3 This fragment was written in evident allusion to the entire Ahunavaiti, which it follows in the Vendîdâd Sâdah. It expresses the veneration acquired by the first Gâtha long after its composition.

356:4 From the Vendîdâd Sâdah.

356:5 Frâyazentãm may be a metaplasm; otherwise 'of the sacrificers.'

357:1 Dãmi with K4. Possibly in their own house (dãmi = dani).

357:2 These words probably allude severally, say, to dãm in Y. XXXI, 7, kithrâ in Y. XXXI, 22, zaoshê in Y. XXXIII, 2, 10, âyaptâ in Y. XXVIII, 8, to zarzdau in Y. XXXI, 1.

357:3 Erroneous.